LOVE YOUR HEART: Heart Rates

 Article by ERNESTO CABALLERO, PERSONAL TRAINER AT ISLAND CITY HEALTH  & FITNESS

Island City Health and Fitness is providing new cardiovascular equipment for our members and guests.  I have been approached by numerous people asking me several questions about how to find their MAXIMUM HEART RATE (Max HR) AND HEART RATE ZONES (HRZ) on these machines.  The month of February is National Heart Awareness Month and is the perfect time to provide beneficial information about the most important muscle in your body, the HEART! Whether you enjoy training on the Treadmill, Elliptical Machine, Stair Master, or  Stationary Bike, the most important thing to be aware of is your Maximum Heart Rate and Heart Rate Zone for your age and fitness level.

 Your HEART is a muscle. When you exercise, you are strengthening it. Your HEART is known as a "use-it OR lose-it muscle" because if you are not being active, you are actually losing the heart's functional ability. As your heart beats, you are taking it into a ZONE.  A ZONE is simply a range of heart beats, or known as BEATS PER MINUTE (bpm). Your heart rate is usually around 70 beats per minute if you are sitting down or doing some light activity. Your RESTING HEART RATE is usually in the 50's or 60's and this is measured when you first wake up in the morning or when you get out of bed. The best way to calculate your Resting Heart Rate Zone is to count your pulse for fifteen seconds. Begin the count on zero and multiply by four. Do this for five days and average the results on the last day.  If you are a fit athlete, your heart rate and resting heart rates are lower than normal. The lower your Resting Heart Rate is the healthier and stronger your heart.

Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR) is the highest possible heart rate you can achieve or the highest number of times you heart can beat in one minute. Once you know you Maximum Heart Rate you can easily figure out you HEART RATE ZONE. You can either take a max stress test administered by a medical or sports professional or simply calculate this simple formula: 208-(0.7 x YOUR AGE) to determine your Maximum Heart Rate. There are a few more factors to consider when determining your Maximum Heart Rate. 1. What is your fitness level? Are you considered in Poor Shape, Fair Shape, or in Good Shape? 2. Do you lack sleep? Are you eating properly? Do you stress out? These important questions play an important role and might not give you an accurate answer, but will tell you where your Maximum Heart Rate lies. Once you know your Maximum Heart Rate, the next step is to see where you fall in the Heart Rate Zones.

The Heart Rate Zones actually tells you if you are exercising to the max and if the result of your exercise will benefit you. There are 5 Zones and they are each 10% of your Maximum Heart Rate.  Zone 1 is the 'Lowest" Zone which ranges start at 50%. Zone 5 is your "Max" Zone which ranges around 90%. To figure out your Maximum Heart Rate in each zone, simply multiply your Maximum Heart rate by the percentage level in each 5 Zones. So for example, if my Maximum Heart Rate is 180, my Heart Rate Zone when reached in Zone 3 would be 126 beats per minute. "What does each Zone mean?" Zone 1 is where most beginners or those individuals who have not exercised fall in.  It is the lowest level you can exercise, but still where you get a good workout. In Zone 2, your heart actually begins to improve its ability to pump blood and utilize oxygen. Here your body fat is the source of energy of your exercise activity.  Zone 3 is known as the "aerobic zone". In other words, you are bringing in more oxygen into the muscles which increases your muscle strength. This is where you are actually getting a lot covered in a short period of time. Always strive to reach this Zone!  In Zones 4 and 5, your body is slowly coming to a halt. Your body is getting to a point where it's running out of gas. In Zone 4, your muscles begin to fatigue due to "Lactic Acid." When you exercise, you need oxygen to produce the right amount of energy to your muscles. But if you are pushing yourself too much, you produce a chemical called Lactic Acid that accumulates into the muscles and into your bloodstream which makes your body step on the break and stop. If you are not in great shape, it is a good idea to not train at this level. In this Zone, Lactic Acid takes over your entire body which limits the amount of oxygen into the muscles for energy. It is very hard, even for someone in great shape, to maintain their levels in this Zone.

I hope this answers everybody's questions about finding their Maximum Heart Rate and Heart Rate Zones.  If you have any questions on this or any others, find the answers from myself or any one of our Certified Personal Trainers here at Island City Health and Fitness.

So the next time you hop on a cardiovascular machine, ask yourself, "How much loving am I going to give my HEART today?!"

To learn more, set up a personal training session with the author, Ernesto Caballero.  Ernesto is a Certified Personal Trainer and Boot Camp instructor at Island City Health and Fitness.  Phone: 954-318-3900 Email: Ernesto@IslandCityFitness.com

Are Your Cooking Oils Killing You?

Polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, and canola oil, are the worst oils for cooking.  They are very heat sensitive and break down to release free-radicals.  Free-radicals are known to increase your risk for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, obesity, and most degenerative diseases in general.  The solution is simple: Coconut Oil.  Coconut Oil is a saturated fat that is heat stable, but has gotten a bad rap over the years.  The benefits of coconut oil go beyond just cooking though.  Coconut oil, a nutritious food and skin conditioner, fell out of favor in the 1960s when the food industry and doctors with no nutrition education started making false claims that it contains cholesterol and should be avoided. Saturated fats do not all contain cholesterol. Saturated fats are, in fact, necessary for optimum health.
Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs are what make coconut oil special. Coconut oil is the richest source of MCTs.  MCTs are smaller than most fats so they pass into membranes without difficulty and acts like a carbohydrate in its ability to be used for energy, but doesn’t require insulin. This property makes coconut oil an excellent choice for energy for diabetics, people with hypoglycemia, and those with blood-sugar swings. MCTs are easily digested and are converted quickly by the liver into energy rather than being stored as fat. This quick energy stimulates metabolism and weight loss. In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, stimulate the metabolism and turned into energy has been shown to enhance athletic performance also.
Benefits of Coconut Oil:

* Weight loss

* Improved athletic performance

* Reduced risk of heart disease

* Immune system support

* Reduced cancer risk

* A rapid energy source.

* Increases energy like carbohydrates, but does not cause wide fluctuations in blood sugar.

* Prevents and treats bacterial, viral and yeast infections

* Easily digested and assimilated by those with digestive problems

* Protects skin from UV light damage and wrinkles.

Coconut Oil is also a highly effective detoxifier.  It contains lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid with antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and COX-1-2 inhibitors that has anti-microbial properties.  Coconut Oil is used both internally and externally to fight viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and parasites. Use coconut oil on skin to fight sun damage and wrinkles.  Contact me for information on how to cleanse and detoxify with Coconut Oil or how to use in cooking and body products.

Quick Nutrition Tips

·         Drink WATER.  

·         Eliminate refined sugars and limit Alcohol.

·         Eat six small meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks. Try to eat every few hours (ideally between 3 to 4 hours) to curb hunger and promote a higher metabolism.  Always eat BREAKFAST.

·         Choose whole grains and complex carbohydrates to give you more energy and keep you feeling fuller longer. Remember that whole wheat is not necessarily whole grain. Look for breads, rice and pasta that are not just brown, but also made with 100% whole grains. One serving is about the size of your closed fist.

·         Leave calorie-filled, non-nutritional "junk food" at the grocery store. If you buy fresh foods, you will eat fresh foods.

·         Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want. Try to add one serving, about a handful, of each per meal. Fruits also make great snacks because they are full of natural sugar and can help fight those afternoon sugar cravings. Foods that should make up the majority of your diet are lettuce, green beans, asparagus, spinach, cucumbers and celery.

·         Eat lean meats, chicken and fish whenever possible, staying away from processed and fatty meats. This will give you much needed protein with little fat. One serving is about the size of you palm.  It is also possible to get enough protein with a vegetarian and vegan diet also.

·         Read labels. Look at calorie counts but also look at nutritional value and ingredients. Try to avoid foods with white flour, sugar and sugar substitutes, saturated fats and trans-fats.

·         Take small bags of unsalted almonds, cashews and walnuts with you to work so you don't get tempted by vending machines and break room junk food.

·         Check  internet sites, libraries and bookstores for recipes to keep your new lifestyle fresh and flavorful.

Island City Health and Fitness offers a wide range of services and a full gym with sauna and steam room.  Island City Health and Fitness is located in the heart of Wilton Manors on Wilton Drive.

For more information contact the author Melissa Binkley at 954-318-3900 to schedule a consultation or session with a Certified Fitness Trainer or visit www.IslandCityFitness.com

THIS MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE

Water: H2O

"You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj

In honor of March being National Nutrition Month I will be discussing nutrition and its basis in the “cure” of most so-called “diseases”, or dis-ease, that afflict our society.  We have the power to heal our minds, bodies, and souls from the inside out.  Proper nutrition is the cornerstone to a healthy lifestyle and is the starting point for any good training program, whether for a sport or just general fitness.  Before we can discuss nutrition itself we have to take a look at the fundamental building blocks of life. Water (H2O ) and salt are the two most essential nutrients for life, yet we are constantly lacking both.

70% of the adult human body is comprised of water (more for children). The human eye is between 95% to 98% water. H2O encompasses 71% of the earth and is vital and essential to EVERY living creature in existence on earth.  The human body requires H2O more than it requires food.  You can survive weeks without food, but only a few days without water.  It is medically necessary for BASIC human survival that a person consume half their body weight in ounces of pure water per DAY.  Therefore, a 200 lb person should ingest 100 ounces of water daily!  95% of the time, the human body does not distinguish between hunger and thirst. When we think we are hungry, we are really thirsty.

All disease and dis‐ease comes from DEHYDRATION.   They are so many so-called incurable diseases that are being treated with drugs and procedures that are caused by lack of water and/or unprocessed sea salt.  The combination of lacking these two essential nutrients and drinking caffeine, alcohol, and soda which wreck our immune systems by ridding our bodies of these nutrients as well as vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.  Dr. Batmanghelidj said, “We are not sick, we are just thirsty.” He also explains the root cause of the following list of “diseases” is chronic dehydration and claims people should not be sold drugs to treat the symptoms of thirst, which is the main reason they are incurable because the treatment is wrong! 

Dehydration causes our bodies to remain in an acidic state. The acid alkaline balance of the body is measured by the body pH factor.  The pH [potential of hydrogen] ranges from 0 [extreme acidic] to 14 [extreme alkaline].   There is a tenfold difference between each number.  For instance, a body pH of 5 is 10 times more acidic as a body pH of 6.  Optimally, we want the fluids in our bodies to have a neutral pH level, which is 7.0-7.4.  A pH less than 5.3 indicates an inability to assimilate vitamins or minerals. A pH below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline.

Toxins in the water we drink keep us from absorbing the correct amount of pure water needed to live a long and healthy life. Pure water has an alkalinity of 7.0 PH.  To stay free of disease a body must stay in an alkaline state.  All diseases thrive in an acidic state. No disease in existence has ever survived in an alkaline state.  Water balances your body and keeps it ALKALINE.  Since the alkaline [higher pH] blood, contains excess oxygen, the heart does not have to work as hard. Aging is accelerated because natural acid salts build up in the walls of your cells, causing them to stiffen, thicken, wrinkle and dry up.  This causes cells to lose their ability to receive essential nutrients and oxygen that are required for health and healing.  By the same token, aging is slowed when acid waste is removed from the body. An infant is highly alkaline.  A typical 75-year-old is highly acidic.  Death is 100% acidity.   Dr. Theodore A. Baroody wrote a blockbuster book entitled: Alkalize or Die. Consumption of beverages, such as pop, coffee, diet soda, etc., cause an acidic environment in the body. The body needs to work to neutralize the acid in the body. In addition to the daily ounces of water required by the human body (as a function of weight) consumption of:

• One 8 oz cup of coffee = 64 ounces of H2O to counteract and maintain optimal pH balance

• One 12 oz can of pop = 90 ounces of H2O r to counteract and maintain optimal pH balance

No health disorder or disease can possibly sustain itself when the pH is maintained in the neutral zone.  This is true for every man, woman and child.  At this level, the body is highly oxygenated; it detoxifies and heals itself; its cells are energized; and it has a strong immunity to all diseases.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans have a pH level of 6.2 to 6.4.

 

The following are symptoms of dehydration and body being in acidic state:

Acid reflux                                            Autism

Addictions                                             Poor Circulation

Agoraphobia

Most allergies except food                Angina

Arthritis                                                 Asthma  

ADD                                                        ADHD

Back Problems                                      Birth Defects

Cancer                                                   High Cholesterol

Chronic Fatigue                                    Chron’s Disease

Most Colds                                            Colitis

Congestion/Mucus                              Coughing

Cramps (lack of salt)                            Cystic Fibrosis

Depression/Anxiety                            Chronic Dry eyes

Gallstones                                              Gout

Graves disease                                     Headaches

Heart Problems                                    Hiccups

Most HBP                                               Lupus

Many mental disorders                       Minere's disease, MD,

Obesity                                                  Chronis pain

Pet arthritis (99%)                                RSD

Most skin problems                             Strokes

Suicidal tendencies                             Syncope

Thyroid disease                                    Ulcers

Urinary tract infections.*

Alkaline your water and save yourself:  Pure Water with a perfect alkalinity is difficult to find.

You can alkaline your water  check out my website:

Alkalized Water Concentrate

Works Cited

http://www.doctorajadams.com/AcidAlkaline.html

http://www.watercure2.org/

http://www.watercure.com/index.html